Major Contest #3 Final Voting Thread

Armadillo of Doom · Nov 4, 2009

Will close Wednesday at 1900 Central Standard Time (conversion)

At long last

You can review the entire judgment process here; TF2M Annual Major Contest # 3 - TF2Maps.net.
There are 9 PLR maps and 7 CTF. The more you can rate the better, but the minimum requirements are:

You must vote on at least 5 PLR and 4 CTF maps for any of your votes to count.
Please try to provide a few sentences about each map explaining your ratings.
You may not rate your own map.

These are the categories that will be used, but the questions are just examples to get you thinking in the right direction.

1. Gameflow: Are signs properly used, and not overwhelming? Do the various pathways make sense? Are spawns timed properly to create battles in the right areas? Are travel times acceptable? Is there good use of playerclipping? (can't get to areas outside the map).
2. Balance: Do RED and BLU stand an even chance of winning the map? Is there a fair contest for each control point? Can each class hold their own in the map? Is any one overpowered or underpowered? Is there a good distribution of health and ammo kits?
3. Detailing: Is the map intricate and beautiful? Is there a high level of polish to the map?
4. Optimization: Is there any lag during major fights? Did the mapmaker spend time improving framerates? Were func_details, areaportals, hints properly implemented? (Note: a map would not be penalized for lacking one of these components if it runs well irregardless) Small factor: Did the mapmaker try to keep filesize reasonable- lightmap optimizations, etc?
5. Style: Does the map fit the style of TF2? Do the individual detailing choices make the map feel put together, or discordant? Is the environment visually pleasing?

Each category gets a score of between and 1 and 5.

1= novice
2
3
4
5= exceptional

The average for each voter will be calculated, then combined w/ the judges reviews to determine the winners. Good luck

A Boojum Snark · Nov 14, 2009

Here we go, for real this time. Some revisions to the main post so do read them if you happened to read it before.

Here is a scoring template you can copy/paste to use, if you like. Don't forget you still need to do some overall comments in words.

[noparse]

| Flow | Balance | Detail | Optimization | Style
Animus|F|B|D|O|S
Bayou|F|B|D|O|S
HAARP|F|B|D|O|S
Panamint|F|B|D|O|S
Premuda|F|B|D|O|S
Slate|F|B|D|O|S
Snowdrift|F|B|D|O|S
Vector|F|B|D|O|S

Arctic|F|B|D|O|S
Cornfield|F|B|D|O|S
Highwind|F|B|D|O|S
Nightfall|F|B|D|O|S
Panic|F|B|D|O|S
Rollout|F|B|D|O|S
Scoville|F|B|D|O|S
Solitude|F|B|D|O|S
[/noparse]

The Political Gamer · Nov 14, 2009

Welp I am done with all the maps! When do we get cake? Or do we get pie. I love both as long as the pie is apple.

A/D CTF | Gameflow | Balance | Detaling | Optimization | Style | Comments
ctf_vector| 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | This map looks and plays like a dream. I love the way you were able to capture the hydro theme in a dynamic way and still keep players on the right path. However, I would like to see a bit more optimization. I have a fairly decent rig and I was pulling 60 for most of the map but there were some part were I got about 45. But thats about all the criticism I can give.
ctf_haarp| 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | Like Vector this map is very fun to play and very well optimized, I was able to pull and good 70FPS even in the high traffic spots. However, I do feel the map is tilted a bit too far in REDs favor.
ctf_bayou| 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | This map has problems and a lot of them. Points 1 and 2 are reasonably fun and frantic but after that the map goes downhill. 3 is the worst, the tilted building is very disconcerting. 4 is not as bas but the long pathways take out any really fun. This also greatly affects the balance to RED's favor. Another thing you need to work on is optimization. I was pulling about 30 or less though most of the map. The first point being the worst. However, I do really dig the use of the swamp theme.
ctf_snowdrift| 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | This map is fun be not without problems. Points 1-3 are a BLU steamroll and 4 is near impossible most of the time. Also the map looks kinda bland and flat with its textures and prop work. However, I was able to pull a good 60FPS so thats a big plus.
ctf_slate| 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | Ice I mean Youme (heh heh) I have to say that this is your best map so far. Its very well optimized and its fun to play. But if I must give criticism its that the map looks kinda bland in some parts.
ctf_panamint| 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | Shame this map was never fully detailed. However, its the only map so far were I get 80FPS most of the time. So props to you.
ctf_premuda| 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 3 | This is another great example of a A/D CTF map. Its both balanced and well optimized. However, I am not a really fan of the rain and the very strange rock/ground texture.
PLR Maps | Gameflow | Balance | Detaling | Optimization | Style | Comments
plr_scoville| 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | Shame this map was never textured or optimized. However, it is still very fun too play and I can't get over how cool the big sun thing looks.
plr_solitude | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | This map came out of nowhere and blew me away. However, I found the last stage to be dull and lacking any real "epic" feel that other PLRs give. Another thing that bugged me is the lighting. It gave the map a very flat tone and made it harder to tell between RED and BLU.
plr_animus| 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | Right off the bat stage 1 is F'ing huge! I mean come on, it cries for a size reduction. Stage 2 is better but with all the tracks running around people can't tell where the carts are going to be. And all the final stage bowls down to is who can push the cart faster. And like Beatz pointed out your detailing is very distracting and detracts from the gameplay.
plr_nightfall| 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | This is one of the best PLRs I have ever seen. Its very nicely detailed and optimized. It is also very fun to play. However, I had to take off points because the last stage was all still in dev textures.
plr_rollout| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | I did not feel it was fair to review this map because I was never able to play the hole thing due to its server crashing bug.
plr_cornfield | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | I really had fun on this map. Its well optimized and detailed nicely... on the last stage anyway. Oh and I lol'd at the big gifts in the skybox. Oh and I love the carts as well.
plr_panic| 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | This is an amazing PLR map. If I had to give some criticism its the that 2nd stage it a bit if'y but other then that the map is near perfect.
plr_artic| 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | Right off the bat the dev textures are unfortunate. Also stage 2 is a bit too big. To make things worse stage 3 is ungodly massive and would take ages to any team to reach the end.
plr_highwind| 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | I love how you made a map with a style other then dark or hydro. It really helps it stick out form the rest. However, the lack of any really goal it something that will be fixed in later versions.

Icarus · Nov 14, 2009

Ratings are subject to change until voting closes. I'll also be using a different table, since I want the authors to focus on their own maps and needs rather than compare with competitors. All-in-all a valiant effort by all entries! Good luck to everyone!

Vector

I cannot vote for this entry.

Snowdrift

Snowdrift has improved by so much since it was started. Your CPs are for the most part balanced now, and I have fun when the conditions are just right. More often though, BLU either steamrolls through, or get stalled at CP1, partly due to the lack of time to setup the vital sentries that prevent suicide caps (although they do still occasionally happen) as a result of the removal of blocking. Heavily sentry-centric, and a very restrictive final point makes snowdrift less multi-dimensional than it could have been. Detailing is solid, but repetitive. Some buildings seem to exist for no stylistic purpose at all. Overall, a solid entry, and a well-done alternative twist to the ADCTF genre.

Slate

A particularly well-done entry for it's goal. You tried to make a faster-paced A/D map, with weak sentry locations but short round times. I don't particularly like being on BLU on this map, it always feels like it's only seconds before overtime and you are punished severely if you are inattentive for just a moment. While it's balance is fine regarding defensive engineers, you give attacking engineers little chance to setup a forward shop. At times it is difficult to keep the much needed pressure on RED when you need to run on foot to the CP due to lack of teleporters. While I don't like your particular choice of theme, the more technical aspects of detailing were expertly done. I was wowed by the tarp over 3-1. All these locked doors that look like doors really irritate me, however. I hope you finish this map. I look forward to it.

Panamint

A very nice entry. The gameplay doesn't feel quite solid, especially for stage 2, but it's getting there. Sadly, you didn't have enough time to finish detailing your map, so I'm afraid I can't give you any points for that. You really need to find a replacement for 2-2 though, Using a clearly badlands prop is only going to work against you. It's no surprise that 2-2 is your weakest point. Enabling overtime could also cause problems for you. I love the intel, and I do enjoy the first and last stages. Keep working on it, buddy, it's worth it.

Premuda

There are so many aspects of Premuda that I find awkward. The extreme variation of heights, the bizarre displacement formations, and the lack of direction can get frustrating. This only seems to get worse as the map progresses. I used to get frequent drops in FPS but it isn't as bad now. What really irritates me here is the ridiculously inefficient filesize of 110MB. Stylistically, I find the visual environment very displeasing. The colours, contrasts, and shapes leave me consistently uneasy and uncomfortable. It's as if you've done everything I've tried to avoid. It's not as bad as I make it out to be here, as you can see by my ratings, but it leaves Premuda unable to excel at any particular category.

HAARP

I do not feel that I am able to objectively rate this entry.

Bayou

A bizarre but daring entry with the new swamp theme. There are it's awkward parts, both gameplay and detail-wise. Demomen were able to get on roofs they shouldn't, the confusing sign-ridden RED spawn, and areas that are way too dark. However, you get lots of points to trying something new with regards to the theme an (oh my god!) the mansion! Unfortunately, these come at a great cost, and optimization gets put in the sidelines. Gameflow seems to start and stop abruptly, and the last point always falls in the first few minutes. A worthy effort, I hope you have learned lots from this contest. I want to see what your ingenuity generates in the future.

___________________________________

Scoville

I really like this entry! It plays remarkably well, and I always have fun on it (whenever I'm not stuttering like a bitch). Stage 2 has this building next to spawn, it is so fun to play scout there. Stage 3, however, can get a little bit messy. I would recommend reducing the spawn time for the last stage like they did in Pipeline. Unfortunately, for all it's goodness, Scoville is plagued with bugs and issues which I am certain you know all too much about now. Detailing is good, but only wherever it existed, so sadly I cannot give you too many points in that area. Switching sides on map end is really irritating. All-in-all, an map filled to the brim with potential, but falls short for this contest iteration.

Solitude

Suddenly, a map! A great one! Out of nowhere Solitude storms in and shows to be a fierce competitor! I love the gameplay in solitude. The layout is fresh, unique, and innovative. The idea of dynamic stages, like your third should defiantly be expanded more. Regrettably, as fast as this map came onto the stage, it ended. The rounds are lightning fast --too fast. The detailing is commendable, but seems to have lost it's sense of purpose. Your buildings look seemingly random, and exist solely to be used as a battleground. Nevertheless, I expect this map to be in the top 3 PLRs.

Animus

Your stages are inconsistent. The first stage is massive. Rounds are very, very long, and the long walking distance isn't very enjoyable either. Then, for the next two stages, it seems to end as soon as it starts. Your third stage is so minuscule I am left to wonder what happened to your ambition. Detailing is nice and complete for the most part, but stylistically serves no purpose and leaves me scratching my head. You also have misaligned areaportals near your spawns.

Cornfield

It was very unfortunate how this map turned out. Detailing is largely incomplete. However, the areas that were finished was quite spectacular. I liked the ending, but I was unable to find what the purpose of it was. Both the lack of completeness and the game-crippling bug of the kissing carts on stage 2 severely impedes your progress, and I am unable to property assess your entry. This was one of the maps I was looking forward to, please continue your work on it, and finish it in the future.

Nightfall

I feel like I have been given so much freedom in this map. There are multiple ways to go about everything, each with their own ups and downs. I have fun on nightfall, but I don't like how much you give winning teams handicaps on the last stage. Slowing down the cart so the losing team can catch up did'nt make it exciting, but disappointing. I can't say that I like your anti-stalemate measures. Sometimes teams will just camp around the enemy cart knowing that their own cart would auto-roll to victory before the enemy's. I can't give you too much credit for detailing, as you're left 1 third of the map undetailed. Like many other PLR maps, nightfall seems to have no apparent purpose at the moment. It may change when you detail Stage 3.

Rollout

Not much to say about this one. Clearly, you did not finish it. Unfortunately, frequent crashes on this map has rendered it near-unplayable. You had a very interesting game mode, and I want you to continue developing it.

Highwind

I like this map. A refreshingly cheery theme, and I love the dungeon, and the windmills are awe-inspiring. Although I appreciate your daring to challenge what a payload race is, Highwind feels very unstructured, yet restricting. Without any specific set goal, rounds seem to last forever. Compounded with the fact that there are essentially only two ways into the enemy's side. You have the choice of taking your chances at the main hectic chamber where everyone else is, or taking your chances at the alternative, chokepoint dungeon. It all feels too restricting. I would strongly recommend you add another way through. Bugs like the broken scoring system will only hurt your map further, as well as the lop-sided item placement (You probably just forgot). This map has ways to go, but I can see it as a great success! Keep working at it, I love the concept.

Arctic

Looking back, I always have so much fun on this map. Multiple routes, varying heights, and interesting track paths all aid to make arctic a truly fun experience. However, your largest faults could be found on the last stage. You have such a large stage and so many areas that I would recommend you reduce the spawn times in this area to keep it interesting. I love the idea of the upper passage being a constant threat to cart pushers. Intriguing, arctic could have been so much more if you only had detailed it. Keep working on it!

Panic

Panic was my initial favorite for the contest, but I don't like several of the design choices you've made. Your first stage is perfectly fine, and I love the roller-coaster cart, no complaints here. Come the second stage, however, and it starts to come apart. Teams are all over the place here. There is often not much coordination here and too much ground to cover. Objects can be hidden within the rubble. Your last stage, although unique, is too extreme. The rate at which carts fall to the bottom is crazy fast. While perhaps exciting at times, it can be trying, frustrating, and ends the round much faster than what it should have been. It is much less a payload race here and more of a panicking mess. Like Nightfall, your anti-stalemate measures also seems unnecessary, even more so that I actually saw a team camp the enemy cart to win more than a couple of times. I have no major problems with the detailing, and I hope that you will finish this map soon!

Chaopsychochick · Nov 14, 2009

A/D CTF

Vector: Played

Vector is absolutely gorgeous and personally I think it fits the TF2 theme perfectly. My biggest issue with it is the fact that there are so many choke points, and I feel that it slows down sometimes.

Snowdrift: Played

I really like the snow theme, and I think that having it all in a single stage really makes the map flow wonderfully.

Slate: Have not played

Panamint: Played

Premuda: Played

HAARP: Played

I really like layout of each of the levels and they are a ton of fun. My only big complaint with the map is how easy it can be for RED, the map bottles up fairly badly especially for 3-2. Still, it is a ton of fun to play on.

Bayou: Can not rate

PLR

Scoville: Have not played

Solitude: Played

Animus: Have not played

Cornfield: Have not played

Nightfall: Played

Rollout: Have not played

Highwind: Have not played

Arctic: Have not played

Panic: Played

grazr · Nov 14, 2009

Reserved:

A/D CTF

Vector

This map didn't seem to anticipate the differing gameplay mechanics involved in the CTF A/D gamemode and followed some pre-existing trends in map creation that wern't necasserily complimentary to this mode. A lot of paths are quite narrow, to the point where only a single player could use an exit at a time (despite team clipping). The areas are quite small in addition and very cluttered with props. There's no denying how "pretty" this map is but i really feel like it was over killed, with so much detail there's an information overload and i continuelly feel like i'm gonna snag my balls on a chair or railing everytime i turn around, which is why i've only given it a 4 rather than a 5. More consideration on prop usage would be good. It could have benefited from a little research into existing A/D and how to improve on what currently exists, regardless of its ctf nature. Currently it reeplicates some of the existing A/D flaws and adds in ctf's own as well. the Optimisation on the other hand is fine, appropriate turns and corners, not too many windows. The style is quite accurate, it's certainly TF2 orientated although the hydro neutral theme kinda throws me off sometimes.

snowdrift

The map constantly stalemates after CP1, and i'm surprised this issue has not been addressed since early alpha. With only one direct route and a load of crates you have to jump up on infront of snipers, this area is too easily defendable; particularly as CP2 should be relatively easy to cap. Red is able to counter attack more effectively than Blu can attack as they have more ways to directly attack Blu than Blu has to attack Red, which doesn't make much sense. That said the rest of the map seems to remain well balanced from its alpha testing. All classes work equally well, which is a plus. Detailing is well done although sometimes a bit bland with some rooms given no real purpose; rooms seem to exist for the mere fact that a route must exist for gameplay purposes. Some good prop choices and detail work on the walls should fix this though. Otherwise the map fits the TF2 theme very well. The map has been well designed with vvis in mind, despite issues with custom precipitation 'lagging' the map in the past, it runs pretty smoothly now.

Bayou

The map was very well balanced besides the second to last point. The journey was too far for Blu here, even though i think we did get an advanced spawn; with several sentries occupying the highground at the CP with very small exits onto said highground made it nigh impossible to assault effectively. Optimisation was pretty horrific, ill consideration of windows and doorways allowed multiple areas to view other areas. If the map was more detailed we could have seen some serious complaints, but as it is, only comments on the high visibility distances and odd prop fade distances have been made (although i had no issue with prop fade distances myself). The map is pretty large which is possibly in part to its scale being pretty large as well. Besides props (which cohere to their own size/scale), the walls and floors were very thick and buildings felt unnatural. The uneven ground even made me feel dizzy once or twice when walking through windows or doorways or turning corners. The detailing was ok, and some scenes were quite interesting, but due the the overly large scale, odd texture choices and miss matched props i have had to mark it low.

Premuda

Each stage seemed to stay at the same difficulty, and there were no real size differences throughout the map; each pathway, combat area and CP building consisted of the same use of space, which was very boring (and frustrating as a player). It meant that it was never refreshing to enter a new area and there was no sense of progression, it all came across very samey. There was no real motivation to go one way or another as no real tactical advantage was achieved from going either way, which made attacks watered down and incoherent; Blu also always attacked from the middle ground with an instant handicap. A lot of corners, and excessive heights made demoman and sentries excessively overpowered. I also feel that when players get used to this map the tiny platforms and muddy tracks that flank and provide access the CP buildings will become inaccessible due to strong experienced defence setups IE pyro, demo and engi combo's (the death pits of doom don't exactly help rectify the increasing futility of assaulting one of these routes). This map also needs some signage, although i found my way around for the most part, it was difficult to see how to access the CP's; and one could not see or predict where one path would take them (if i'm impolite i'd call it a mess). Optimisation was ok, essentially built Gravelpit style, an arena with a central construction housing the CP; this setup was annoying for progressive A/D play, especially given the nature of the CP buildings and inability to flank from another area. Visibility of the CP icon is very important, and this map does not adhere to this TF2 gameplay element, and the CP plates were dark and unobvious despite being confined to their respective buildings.

Final notes: The map doesn't pull an accurate TF2 theme but its material usage means it inadvertantly comes pretty close. I struggle to find a particular map theme through all the orange lit mud and literally random buildings that litter the cliff faces until we reach the final CP, and generic (although very cool looking) base built into a cliff. Ground diplacements feel very sloppy, especially in the tunnels (although the cliffs are well done). The ambience didn't help visibility either and could do with some contrast. I feel like this map had so much potential but did not live up to that potential.

Slate

I guess it's no surprise that this map ends up with full marks, despite how i can be so critical of "perfection". I guess we shouldn't have expected anything less from our resident Community The Kritzkrieg. So lets get through this part by part. Gameflow, an obvious understanding of A/D mechanics and the current flaws imposed by existing maps, official and unofficial alike. Reference from the original TFC mode is apparent be it intentional or subconsciously,as is evident with the flag start inside spawn element. Appropriate distancing, area dividing walls, routes, exits and area sizes, in combination with the extra space available in alternate paths compared to existing A/D maps (similar to Badwater's improved A/D design) gives this map brilliant flow. I would be tempted to give an extra 20-30 seconds on the first CP for the first 2 stages, but the Blu instant spawn rectifies any sentry nest bulwark scenario's. Which brings me to balance. Areas are medium to large with appropriate cover, whilst still allowing for static defences, i would like to see a little more minor cover on some outer cp's for snipers, but this is a moot issue. CP's provide a mixture of defencive scenario's reducing monotony and are well spaced apart, particularly the addition of 3 points on the last stage which is a key feature of payload A/D. Each class is well rounded and balanced. Detailing: There are some ledges (2) that i would expect to be able to get onto as they do not provide excessive advantages nor allow the player to see or get out of the map boundaries which was a bit of a throw off. But the detailing is superb. Detail areas are complete and unique and fit the theme. The 2nd cp in the last stage and beyond is a little neglected as well as a few building walls and base of said walls throughout the map inside the player area; but i find any excuse to not give a 5 in the grand scheme of the map to be pedantic at best. Especially with what appears to be the inclusion of custom models. Lighting is pleasent although there is a slight lack of contrast on the inside of buildings that could give a real kick to atmosphere and area transition (it's consistantly all very yellow). Optimisation has been considered via anticipation of the vvis process from the layout up. The map fits the TF2 theme perfectly, plain and simple, the buildings are accuaretly replicated, details, and custom models. This map simply ticks all the boxes despite the minor complaints of a perfectionist. I only wish the last CP was more climatic and 'epic'.

PLR

Panic

The ambience feels off. I feel the main problem is that there is a lack of contrast with the lighting. We all know darkness is bad, but i believe this map would benefit from darker shadows but more lights that would hopefully prevent too many dark corners. The TF2 theme is accurate enough but i feel there are a lot of misplaced props that don't belong in certain areas and a lot of uncomplimentary texture choices (a lot of wood mixed with concrete with no real cohesion). The inner skybox is very pleasent though. The areas are very open due to low buildings and walls with windows and doorways everywhere, each round feels like a catacomb and although player pathways are restricted to a certain extent vvis has not been considered in map development despite the fact that at the moment, it runs ok on my above average system. Balance is fine, it's pretty symetrical, gameflow is fine, first stage is really enjoyable but it kinda goes downhill from there.

Final comments: The last stage doesn't make any sense, i can't see any story told by the map that lets me know how on earth the payload ends up on this slope from the previous stage.

Nightfall

The first round is certainly the most balanced, and the most fun part about this stage is that either team can catch up when behind. The second stage however seems to always go to the last stages winner, but maybe this was just team stacking.. i don't know; in early alpha's i remember a lot of team scrambling. I tend to stick to the cart as a player (because no one else does) and while everyone's off fighting i cap the map on my own. I can't really tell if this is an imbalance because its more to do with the players themselves than the map. The second stage is a lot smaller i find (in general area sizes), besides the cross section at the slopes that is. After the teams fight each other at the cross section, most of my team seems to run off and intercept Red/Blu outside their spawn and the payload is capped with relative ease there after. A team that gets behind on this stage generally loses. The third stage is a difficult one to analyse, the payloads don't cross or really get close and so one simply hides behind the payload and caps it (The only time this hasn't worked was from a random crit catching me). I'm an objective man and playing payload generally means the job gets done when i'm around, my win loss on this map stands at around 14 wins to 3 losses so to say things are this way or that can be hard.

Detailing is excellent, the TF2 theme is spot on, excellent use of textures and props are appropriately utilised. I could make some pedantic comments about weird looking trims but with the inclusion of custom materials as well i can't really mark you down for it. My only gripe is that the spawns could have been more like spawns with a little spytech/shower room theme-age going on. Appropriate steps have been made for optimisation and the map plays fine on my system, even with the rain.

Arctic

A start has been made on detailing and the theme seems pretty accurate for initial attempts. I'm not sure the maps story fits with the TF2 universe but i can assume that Red/Blu are fighting to destroy a valuable weapon so that neither can acquire it, rather than attacking a nuetral party. The layout is interesting but gets progressively confusing, and at times the extent to which height advantages achieve is a little excessive. Without detail landmarks its confusing to remember ones location in relation to the payload, despite the existance of the track; although my intention is not to mark down for still being in DEV. There are a couple misalligned displacements. The first stage has a brilliant cross section, but the map doesn't really evolve in personality as it goes on and there's not much additional info to analyse without a visual theme. A lot of doors and windows that view through each other prevent efficient vvis capacity, something that should be addressed. The map was enjoyable in 8vs8ish we were losing players by the end of the gameday but i enjoyed the majority of this map.

Cornfield

The criss-crosses are fairly compact and has been an issue with a lot of early plr releases, having teams only able to assault such a position head on is partly a lack of imagination that causes game play to feel a little bland and monotonous, and emphasises team stacking. But in general the map plays fine. The map also suffers from a couple similar issues that Panamint does in a lot of windows, doors and corners make for a chaotic gameplay. If this map was further along with details i feel that props and other details could have been used to influence players direction and focus gameplay more than it currently does. There's not a whole load of attention in anticipation of vvis, and some sight lines are quite long (although hardly excessive), but the windows and doorways into everywhere don't exactly allow for the best performance setup, it's only that the map is not fully detailed that this has not become an issue. The sunset is gorgeous and i feel that when it is fully detailed it'll really compliment the map.

Highwind

The theme is interesting, the lower catacombs were very nice; although i feel despite the foreign location some attempts at cohering to a TF2 theme could still have been made, particularly by not having such uniform buildings. The style of the race was fun, i'm not sure whether the game setup/mode was truely forfilling the brief. I'll take its contest acceptance as a yes though. The map was fairly small for what it was and if a sentry went up in the central building it would cause a stalemate for several minutes. Its symmetry made it fairly balanced and for the most part i couldn't feel any class advantages. The side route got several complaints about how narrow it was, i didn't personally have an issue, but i would support it being enlarged and made a more significant part of the maps gameplay.

Solitude

A lot of effert is put into balance such as advancing gates, and being symmetrical plr it's hard to really mark below a 3 unless classes are not balanced. Gameflow is beautiful, although there is not a huge difference in area sizes between stages, the areas in general are good for 24vs24 play (a lot of space to breathe like in Badwater = good). Although the focus appears to be on mobile combat throughout the stages that's not to say the engineer doesn't have his place on the team. A 4 the detailing because the skybox is placeholder and not every area is perfect, but for a beta the fact it has one is good and the detail in accordance to map layout and theme is excellent, it was executed very well. Although i would like to see a few more scattered props as architecture is only a part of the detail catagory, i wanted to give a 5 but couldn't justify it fully, so a 4. This is not my favourite map but it scores very high anyway.

Void · Nov 14, 2009

Vector

A very experienced entry. With over 30 alphas underneath it's belt, it proves it was thoroughly tested. Though I don't necessarily like all the changes to the layout over the months, it still is a solid map. The detailing is a good spin on the Hydro theme, missing only over-the-top displacements. It clearly has a good sense of progression in the details as stages go along, though the finale feels slightly lacking due to the use of toolsblack. But then again, that's what it aimed for. It was a nice competitor on the CTF side of this contest.

HAARP

This entry went beyond expectations, and has become quite a favorite. It’s gameplay is nice, and the detailing is a nice use of the snow theme. While it does play out well throughout most of the map, the finale seems hard to capture at most points. Then again, that can be said for almost every A/D map out there, CTF or otherwise. It was nice to see it progress and it turned out to be quite the map.

Panic

This was one of my favorites from the start. It got better with age, to say the least. It’s gameplay is different, and in this case, different is good. It’s detailing it superb, and it feels like a completely new theme. I love the finale of this map, and those mad beats sure send off a nice party to the winners. At some times, respawn waves conflict with the final stage, sending an unaided cart into the Panic Pit, though that’s mostly due to an unco-operative or, in some cases, unlucky team. It’s definitely the prime competitor on the PLR side of this contest, truly deserving of a golf clap.
Panamint

This was an interesting entry. As Hanz said, it did take heavy influence from Badwater and Goldrush, and it shows. The detailing so far is okay, but it’s not finished, so I had to take a few points off. The detailing and style is very similar to Goldrush and Badwater, almost looking exactly like the two had made CTF love. It’s a good entry, but still needs a few polishes.

Bayou

Bayou was an interesting one. And a difficult one to judge. It makes for an interesting game, though it is quite open and large at points. It’s still a fun map to hop in and play, and it utilized the Swamp Theme well. It’s good considering it’s only Chao’s second-released map.

Nightfall

With so many varying Stage 3s, this one was odd to judge. It looks great from seeing what’s been done already, and I hope what’s unfinished will follow suit. It plays well and I can’t wait to see where Stage 3 will finally end up. Knowing Psy’s past, it should end up as quite the map.

Cornfield

Ah yes, Cornfield. Lovely little Cornfield. What it lacks in actual Cornfields, it supplies in every other aspect. It’s detailing is superb as well as it’s gameplay. Although similar to Furnace Creek in style, it still stands out quite well and is a nice addition to this contest.

Solitude

Then came Solitude. Quiet for months, then bang. It’s back, and in a lovely beta. I can’t say too much about, as I’ve only played the final entry. It played well when I did though, although a bit quirky in balance. It looked pretty and used the Swamp Assets without being a true Swamp.

Animus

Oh, Animus. We have history, don’t we? It’s gameplay and balancing was overall average. It’s style and detailing tried too hard to push the TF2 theme to the limits, and ended up in the boundary waters. It’s a jumbled theme, it is. Nothing is clear about it, what with desert assets, pumpkins, water… it doesn’t add up. The whole “spiritual” thing doesn’t work well either. It doesn’t fit TF2.

__________________

Might do more reviews later. But these are mostly the maps I've played.

Owlruler · Nov 14, 2009

I must say now that all my optimisation scores are based on whether I can actually play the map and my detail scores are based on areas that are detailed.

Comments

ctf_vector |

4 |

5 |

4 |

5 | Possibly my favorite ctf map. I find that I can easily run around but a few lag spikes. The detailing is top notch and, well... it's Hydro style. I get a little lost if I use routes I don't always use but mainly it is balanced and easy to run around.

ctf_harrp |

5 |

4 |

5 |

3 |

5 | It's a shame that I can only run this map occasionally but due to the open arena, I just cannot run around some of the time. Despite this, it is a very polished map and really does fit the tf2 style. I can finnd my way around easily and I have only got lost once or twice. I feel that it is a bit too hard in some places but otherwise, quite fun.

ctf_bayou |

N/A |

3 |

2 |

4 | Comments
ctf_snowdrift |

N/A |

4 |

3 |

4 | Comments

ctf_slate |

N/A |

4 |

5 | Comments
ctf_panamint |

4 |

3 |

5 |

3 | This is one of the few maps that I can actually play well on. I am quite sure of where I am going but I do get a bit confused every so often. I detailing is nice in the parts that you have finished. Most games are very even, but I do find that it is easier to hold 2-2 as red than 3-2.

ctf_premuda |

N/A |

5|

2 |

4 | Comments

Comments

plr_scoville |

N/A |

4 |

2 |

4 | Comments

plr_solitude |

N/A |

4 |

3 |

3 | Comments

plr_animus |

N/A |

4 |

3 |

3 | Comments

plr_nightfall |

5 |

4 |

5 | My favorite out of all the plr_entries. It fits the tf2 theme very well and it's detailing is lush. The rounds were all polished and were usually very well balanced. I was certain about where I was going and health kits were well placed.

plr_rollout |

4 |

2 |

5 |

3 | Since it didn't really get tested and finished, I think I have been a bit generous. However, I do feel that the main focus in this map is the cart and players are directed towards it quite well. I qet quite good framerates and I think that is does feel 'tf2ish'.

plr_cornfield |

4 |

3 |

5 |

3 |

5 | Probably one of the best detailed maps in the contest. I do, however, find that I am consistantly getting low framerates. Players are, I feel, well directed towards the cart however I feel that once one team gets in front it is almost always a steamroll.

plr_panic |

5 |

4 |

5 |

4 |

5 | The games play well and are very often, quite balanced. The 3rd stage with it's constant rollback works well and the detailing it almost perfect. I don't lag too much and I find it quite easy to get around the map.

plr_artic |

N/A |

3 |

4 |

4 | Comments
plr_highwind |

N/A |

4 |

3 |

4 | Comments

Fearlezz · Nov 14, 2009

Fearlezz's Review

Here:

CTF Maps: | Flow | Balance | Detail | Optimization | Style | Comments ctf_haarp | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | This map is fantastic, great layout and design. Style and theme is also great, you executed the snow theme perfectly! However, it really lacks signs and gameflow. Together, it doesn't make a good result. Reason for why I put a 4 instead of 5 in style, is because you lack team colors, you really just use gray all over.
ctf_snowdrift | 3 | 4 | 3.5 | 4 | 3 | I think this map is great, but I think this map can go alot futher. Your optimization is excellent in the first part, but between the second and last part, it gets worse, thats why you got a 4.
ctf_slate | 4 | 3 | 3.5 | 4 | 4 | You nailed the sawmill theme/style, but I gave you a 4 because I feel that this map is very flat, otherwise the style is great. I think there is still some detailing work left to, but overall its nicely detail, but it can still be even better detailed without loosing too much good performance
ctf_premuda | 3.5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | This map is amazing, and you know it. You got a 5 on detail and style because you use brushes and models in a such amazing original way. Im very impressed with that, you use your resources so creative and put them out there in a new reasonable way. You got a 3.5 on flow because I think that in some stages the players are scattered around and there is no real front where the battle is held. And you would have gotten a 5 on optimization but I checked out the optimization when you sent me the vmf before and you use occluders like crazy, in places where you can use areaportals and/or hints instead. Unnecessary parts of the geometry is often being rendered. The fact that the map is 115MB big also pushed it down.
PLR Maps: | Flow | Balance | Detail | Optimization | Style | Comments plr_solitude | 3 | 5 | 2.5 | 3 | 3 | This map is very nice. Optimization can be alot better, almost the whole map is rendered at the same time, even in rooms where you should have areaportals in the entries. I havent played much of this map, but every time that I have, the gameplay has been excellent, balance is great. The detailing is very poor, but your on the right track. You just need to add more to it. I feel that this map is all yellow, and thats why I gave you a 3 on style. It gets very old and almost irritating to me some times. Need some different colors in your map!
plr_nightfall | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | For me, this map looks like sawmill but the plr version, if you know what I mean. But its a great map, nothing wrong with it at all. Except optimization, which could be alot better, you need to fine tune that. You got a 3 on balance because the carts often stood still in some areas with the teams trying and trying to push through a sentry spot or something like that. Great map otherwise.
plr_cornfield | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | This map will be wonderful once detailed and optimized. You got a 3 on flow because I think in stage 1, there isnt enough focus for battles. A 2 on optimization because I really get low fps in stage 3, and this is ofcourse because of the amount of detail you have in stage 3.
plr_panic | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | I havent experienced any bad fps in this map what so ever, great work on optimization! Detail is great but in some areas you over use the same method of detailing. You got a 4 on style simply because while its really awesome and something new, it feels a bit too dark and dead.
plr_highwind | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | This is a interesting map. While the detail work is okay, but needs more work, the style doesn't attract me. But you did put alot of effort in it.

Ida · Nov 14, 2009

This text is just here so that the table doesn't get squashed by the Steam thingy to the right of this paragraph.

Map | Flow | Balance | Detail | Optim. | Style | Review
Animus|2|3|2|4|2|Well, I was hoping this would turn out good, but what ruins is the most is the flow and balance - each team is able to run the cart almost to the middle before meeting the other team in the first two stages, and when it's close to the capture, it's a really far walk there, without a lot of shortcuts. The last stage is just one long roll for whichever team manages to spawncamp the best, which is extremely disappointing. You had some cool soul/spooky theme going on, but right now I'm not quite sure where that went. I'm disappointed to see a good style now only represented by a rather good skybox texture and some pumpkins. I'm not won over by the detail either, which was obviously not worked a lot on, but you have used a bit of textures and attempted to create a theme, so let's give that a 3. I haven't noticed any notable performance issues, but some weird hall of mirror bug shows that something must be wrong, and you didn't spend enough time weeding out bugs like those.

Arctic|?|?|?|?|?|I'm sorry, but I haven't been able to play this map more than once some reason, I don't know why I've missed it. Unless I get to play it in the near future, I can't review it.

Bayou|3|4|3|5|3|If I were to pick a map to call decent, it would be this. It's by no means bad, but there's a lot of things to pick on. For instance, overtime harms the flow by being able to go on forever, and on that topic I think there are too many signs. Often, players need subtle cues which they can follow subconsciously, rather than forty signs on a wall, forcing them to stop and work out where to go. There is also a lot of potential for sentry camping, especially at the elevated B, but overall the balance isn't ruined by this. It's Dustbowl-ish in a good sense, and the difficulty ramps up well. I like the swamp theme, it's pretty cool to see some of the swamp pack being used in this contest! However, it's not easy to see what it all is supposed to be, as the map mostly consist of wooden structures. I'm not very fond of the tilted house, however neat it may look at first sight. I like the rocket, by the way. I haven't noticed any optimization issues.

Cornfield

HAARP|5|4|5|5|5|HAARP is among the top of the CTF maps. It really feels polished, and nearly finished. The flow is as good as it gets - get flag, go there, there is never any confusion or even doubt as to where I should go. The final points of stages 1 and 2 feel a tad too hard for BLU, bringing the balance down slightly, but on the whole it's very solid in that department. The theme is very cool, I love the mountain base theme, and the snow is used well. The finale is not too shabby either, I certainly feel the RED base coming closer as the amount of spytech architecture grows. I can't complain about the optimization either.

Highwind|4|4|4|5|3|This is very interesting because it goes on forever. It's a really small map with overall good design, but it's a little disappointing that the winning team gets no reward. I can't see Snipers doing much good here, and some areas seem a little spammy (especially the middle), but overall a small pack of fun. It looks good too, with a really neat stereotypically Dutch theme. I'd love to see more of this, although it is a little flat in terms of interesting things to look at, and it doesn't remind me much of TF2 either. No complaints about optimization.

Nightfall|4|4|4|5|3|Nightfall is one of my favorite PLR maps, which says a lot because I hate PLR. You've managed to make the first two stages fun to play, by ensuring bases have decent space inbetween them and overall balancing it very well for all classes. The last stage, though, is not fun in the least, encouraging spawncamping thanks the really close bases. It resembles Pipeline too much, which is no good thing. Still, though, flow and balance score high because the first two stages are so well designed. The map also looks very good, even though the last stage obviously doesn't contribute to that either. The style, rainy alpine, is something I really don't care much for, and the fact that there is little to no "hidden base" business going on makes it feel a little flat and boring in style. No complaints about performance, though!

Panamint|4|4|1|5|2|This is a fun map to play, I think you've done very well on flow and balance. What ruins it a little is overtime, which can give unjustified wins, as well as the fact that the intel spawns in unlogical locations. Some iffy balance, such as the first stage being a little hard for BLU, while the last feels too easy and anti-climatic. On the whole, though, quite solid. Obviously I'm not going to award any points in details for a couple of textured rooms, but you're gonna get +1 for the custom models and Gold Rush feeling. No complaints about optimization.

Panic|4|4|4|5|4|Panic is lovely, but let me get things in the right order. I find most games on this map very fun. Directions are very clear, and the side routes are well made and just exploitable anough. However, it looses a mark because, while the last stage is fantastically hectic and fun, retreat is never an option. There's no time to catch a break, which can lead to too much suicide and too few ubers. With this logic, balancing is also slightly flawed, but I must mention it's perfect on the first two stages. In terms of details, what's immediately striking is the orange-like lighting with sort of dark environments... yet they aren't too dark. You've done a good job with textures, but it feels like there aren't enough small details and objects, and the textures can blend together a bit. Altogether nice, though, and the cool openings definitely earn you points in style. There's no lag for me as far as I've seen.

Premuda

Rollout

Scoville|4|5|2|2|3|Scoville is the start of something very good, but it's unfortunaly a little behind schedule. I think you've got good flow and balance, although as is the case with most PLR maps, the final stage is kind of disappointing, mostly because the cart is so damn slow and the final stretch is way too tight and spammy. I enjoy the gameplay overall, though, as you've stuck with a good formula that works. The detailing is nice in the first stage, but it's obviously really far from being finished. The promising details aren't enough, but the fans, the snow and the sun definitely add to the style. Also worth noting, Scoville is the only map that made me lag - severely at points, but always a little. I don't think you did a good job with optimization.

Slate

Snowdrift|3|4|4|5|5|Playing this map is always fun, because each area is well designed, but what keeps it from scoring any higher in flow is the fact that BLU can often completely overwhelm RED with a couple of ninja caps, and often get to cap 3 before RED figures out what hit them. On the other hand, there are some huge sniper sightlines and potential for sentry camping, showing a little rusty balance and creating more bad flow. The details are great, though, I love the colors and textures, and it fits the TF2 style perfectly with some well-used spytech materials. Only thing worth mentioning is that some of the areas feel a little monotonous, especially around the 2nd-3rd captures. The map seems to run fine for me in terms of optimization.

Solitude|3|5|5|5|5|This map is another one among the best, but I can't score it perfectly because of the sort of unconventional layouts. While the second stage is well designed, with a good crossover and well defined bases, the same can't be said for the first and third stages. Their X-shaped layouts are very confusing, and while I can't stress enough how happy I am that you didn't make the third stage have a mutual goal, this always makes me unsure of where to go. I can't fault you on class balance, though, as every class seems to have a role here. Now, what makes me really like this map are the details. I'm a sucker for yellow-ish maps, and your skybox is great. It looks like a coast to me, which is certainly nice. Somehow, you've made a very different looking map without straying too far away from the TF2 style, which is very well done. No optimization issues for me, either.

Vector|5|4|5|5|5|You've acheieved a very good flow in this map. Every time I play this map it feels fun, because the spawn times are always acceptable, leading to fights taking place where I expect them, etc. The directions are very clear, and the use of no-flag signs is great! However, the last point feels a little overwhelming for BLU; RED seems to be able to get too far behind them to camp. The sudden shift in flag spawn rules by this point is also curious. The balance is good, but it seems to me that BLU has a sort of easy time winning in the first two stages, while the last point of the last stage is incredibly hard to win. It is, though, without a doubt the best looking map in this contest, nailing the Hydro theme perfectly, albeit just differently enough to make seem like a RED-operated base, not a neutral one. For this same reason, the style is as good as it gets. + for the finale too. The map seems to run well for me, no complaints.

Map | Flow | Balance | Detail | Optim. | Style | Review

Well done.

Occlusion · Nov 14, 2009

vote

I'll update them as i play. Sorry about that.

| Flow | Balance | Detail | Optimization | Style
Animus|5|4|5|4|5
Arctic|3|4|5|3|4
Bayou|5|4|3|4|4
Cornfield|2|4|2|3|4
HAARP|5|2|4|5|4
Highwind|F|B|D|O|S
Nightfall|3|4|5|3|4
Panamint|F|B|D|O|S
Panic|F|B|D|O|S
Premuda|3|4|5|3|4
Rollout|5|4|5|4|3
Scoville|3|4|5|4|4
Slate|4|3|4|3|5
Snowdrift|F|B|D|O|S
Solitude|3|4|5|3|4
Vector|F|B|D|O|S

We are using a 5 point scale, not 10 point. Please revise your ratings. - ABS

Randdalf · Nov 14, 2009

A/D CTF

Vector: Played

A fantastic looking map, one of the best detailed maps in the contest – it really feels like BLU are assaulting a hydroelectric plant, and the progression from simple wooden shack to spytech secrets is well executed. It's also one of the best maps gameplay wise, since the frustrating spamfests of b1, the map has improved greatly it's almost an entirely different map, and has been opened up a lot more. My only criticism is a few quirks in the detailing. Probably the most tested map in the entire contest, and definitely one of the potential winners.

Snowdrift: Played

Snowdrift has so much potential, but fails to execute in some areas. In particular, the controversial removal of area blocking from the capture system really doesn't work with Snowdrift's final two points, which are far too easy to cap compared to the first two. There are some layout issues as well, in particular the huge sniper line running through the first two points, and the cramped and underwhelming final point. The detailing starts of excellently, with fantastic out-of-bounds areas around the first spawn but slowly fades into repetition and anonymity, with most areas of the map being indistinguishable from others. That said, there's nothing bad-looking, per se, about the map, it's just a bit bland and lifeless. I personally don't like the pink/blue/purple (colourblind, cannot tell which it is) skybox, but I spend more time dodging snipers than I do looking at it.

Slate: Played

Slate, slate, slate, my personal favourite of the CTF section, closely followed by Haarp and Vector. I'm not going to lie, the timers on this map are controversial, but I think encouraging attack rather than mindless engineering AND discouraging mindless engineering works a treat and makes for the most enjoyable CTF experience in the entire contest. Youme's first foray into alpine detailing seems at first a little sparse on initial examination, but when the alpine forests surrounding the map is taken into account, everything seems to burst into life – the tapestry covering the 3-1 point is one of those stunning pieces of detailing we've come to know Youme for. Points have to be docked unfortunately, for the lacking visuals around the final point, but as a whole, Slate emulates the TF2 theme to a tee. Compared to the other entrants, the map's layout is entirely unique, favouring open spaces rather than cramped choke points (perhaps excepting 3-2), which works really well.

Panamint: Played

The only piece of real finished detailing in this map is the first spawn (I don't even really think the first spawn area is that detailed), so I can't give it higher than a 1. However, the map runs brilliantly, as you'd expect from a dev textured map, so it can't be knocked for that. If I had to describe Panamint in one word, it would be “meh.” It's a map I wouldn't opt to play if I had to, but if I had to I wouldn't mind. It's not brilliant but it's not bad. I feel it rather puts most of its eggs in one basket, with focus on the big and impressive (final point, flag, 2nd point), which leaves the rest of it worse for wear. Overtime, unlike in other maps, is a huge issue here, and MULTIPLE times I've seen the 1-2 point capped in overtime when the defenders have dilligently protected it for the entire round. The fact remains that you can stand on the flag pickup point and prevent the game from ending when the flag returns (this might also happen in other maps, but I've found it much more prominent here).

Premuda: Played

I'm sure Premuda plays well, but the fact remains I can't actually see what I'm doing in the map. Visually, the skybox is interesting and quite beautifully replicating, if perhaps a little too much, the skies around the Italian coastal village it aims to emulate. The light it casts however is a different story. It's like looking at a Rembrandt at a respectable art museum and then for some inexplicable reason having two knife-wielding ninjas abseil down from the ceiling and stab you repeatedly in the eyeballs. It does however, have one of the best explosions in the contest, and gains some merit for that, as well some pretty neat, if unnatural, displacement arches. Gameplay wise, it was more electric boogaloo than Thriller, the layout felt a little awkward and confusing (from what I could make out by squinting), and a lot of the time the height difference in battle arenas was extreme, it just wasn't that fun to play. Disclaimer: colourblindness.

HAARP: Played

Vector's snowy soul brother, plays slower, but is slightly better looking – more refined. Several innovative ideas are executed in the map, such as a view of different rounds from your current one. One tiny problem I have with this map, is the last stage, it may, ironically, be my favourite last stage in the whole contest, but it's very spammy, and perhaps too much in favour of RED, who seem to have a constant height advantages in the portions of the map that matter.

Bayou: Played

Bayou cannot compete with the upper echelons of the CTF section, it just lacks the production values. In the little playtime I've had with the map, it's had some serious flaws. Firstly, I was completely and utterly lost the entire playtime, except during the mansion assault portion where I died and exited our spawn so many times the route was ingrained permanently in my memory. Some of the detailing is horrid, and the detailing as a whole is horribly inconsistent – some bits look good, others look awful – in particular, the brush-based doors. The map tries to innovate in several ways – it has a cool ending (+1 style) – but generally falls flat on its face, such as the sinking mansion, which was just plain confusing. It didn't run very well for me either when compared to other maps in the contest. There's certainly some love gone into making it, but love does not a good map make.

PLR
Cornfield: Played

Cornfield is... not a cornfield, at least from what I saw of the detailed portion. I've knocked off 2 detailing points (as I have for every map) for unfinished stages, though the stage that is detailed is quite impressive though it could be deemed a little sparse. The “explosion” is pretty cool at the end, but... the map just feels like a lot of angled buildings, with some strange oil pipeline gizmo at the end of it. Gameplay-wise, Cornfield is pretty solid, however the first stage feels too small, and the flanking routes are insufficient to be useful. This improves vastly in the final two stages which are fun to play and much more open. A solid map, which could have been much better was it finished.

Nightfall: Played

Probably the best use of the alpine theme in the whole competition along with Slate, and it looks absolutely brilliant in the stages that are detailed (again, 1 point docked). This one had some awful troubles with getting a good third stage, and unfortunately, the one it has at the moment, is not, in my opinion, its best – though all to their own. The gameplay is solid, and the 2nd stage has probably one of the strongest and most innovative layouts in the PLR section of the contest. The first stage is not as good, but still plays well, if it does sometimes become a bit of a grind. I didn't get perfect FPS on the map, hence the point docked for optimisation, otherwise though, Psy did good.

Panic: Played

Panic is pretty awesome. What started out as a joke with a cool name, has become, in my opinion, one of the strongest PLR entrants. Its gimmicks (exploding wall, rollercoster etc.) play very much in the map's favour and whilst at times it seems a bit silly, the whole thing seems to proffer a much more frantic and frenetic PLR game style. Panic's third stage is the best PLR stage in Team Fortress 2 at the current time, it's fun, it's hectic, you're always on your toes trying to simultaneously kill the other team, stop them pushing their cart, stop yours falling off etc. etc. It's brilliant, and a truly innovative way of ending the usual third stage grindfests. Visually, Panic is also good, whilst not excelling to the heights of Slate/Nightfall, it's darker, moodier theme really lends itself to the intensity of the map. At times, it can just feel a bit barren, but otherwise, Panic is the most exciting PLR map.

Highwind: Played

Highwind is a bit of a strange one, it's one of those sneaky late entrants that nobody's ever heard of before, and unlike most of those, it actually has its good points. Unfortunately, it's big selling point – the capture-as-many-as-you-can PLR spin-off – doesn't really work. The map usually runs for 20 minutes, and in that time I usually see 1 capture, and very rarely, 2. The choky layout just doesn't lend itself to what the map is trying to achieve, and the sewers area just feels redundant, because it's blocked by the same sentries that block the team's progress up top. The decision to add rollback as well, also doesn't work in the map's favour, as PLR is all about edging the cart closer and closer, not doing it all in one big push. Visually, Highwind is pretty cool, and has some really cool windmills; the style is new, pretty and I think works really well. Pity 'bout the gameplay then.

Animus: Played

Animus is a testament to why old unfinished PL maps should not be converted into PLR maps. The layout for each stage is awful, with the first being too large, the 2nd being the TF2 equivalent of bodily wedging yourself into a sardine tin, and the 3rd being so small and short it's over before you have the time to see what's going on. Visually, it's also horrible. Animus is a series of angled-roof buildings with pumpkins, strange lighting, a psychadelic skybox, and some weird particle effects. It relies too heavily on its gimmicks, and was obviously rushed (closed areaportals in first spawn, unfinished and poorly implemented 3rd stage). It doesn't even run that well. Must do better.

Scoville: Played

I really like Scoville. I love running around wrecking havoc as a scout – something I haven't really seen in any other PLR map. It looks reasonably good in its detailed portions; it has a proper neat explosion; it doesn't usually drag; and I have fun. Pity then, that it runs about as well as Crysis does on OS2. If it were detailed fully, and if it were less laggy... I mean, Scoville would be up there in my books, with the big guns. However, its big flaw, is far too huge to ignore, and even makes my scout rampaging quite hard sometimes. There are also some empty and sparse rooms, which given the time Void had to detail the map (IRL not taken into account), I would've expected better (even if I am being totally hypocritical

).

Jack Riguel · Nov 14, 2009

***UPDATE****
Sorry for the delay, had to reformat my drive. Good thing the voting hasn't closed yet.
(new items in red)

Copy/Pasted grazr's as I like his table setup.

I'll start once I return from work. Also, (perhaps from being an ex-UT2004 player) I find the term "Assault" better suited for the CTF mode instead of A/D.

Assault CTF

ctf_vector - played

Notes - A beautiful and stunning map. This is one of the few maps that really make you feel that you're progressing further along a goal as the points are captured. Also, the creative use and visual demonstration of a "cancel zone" really helps the flow and gives the defensive team more of an understandable purpose. However on the downside, even with the recent changes, the map still feels as if it is won or lost at 3-2. Rarely have I seen a game end earlier then that point. All in all though, this map is a lot of fun to play in and one of the few that really makes good use of the "Hydro - desert/spytech" theme.

ctf_snowdrift - played

Notes - I'm glad to see you stuck with the snow theme. Your map had a nice feel to it and the style is very fitting, not to mention a good twist on that theme. I enjoyed this map quite a bit, however due to it's capture style and layout, the game is very uneven, as the attacking team tends to dominate the match. However, it's a nice throwback to the old style of Assault CTF and a very nice map aside from that.

ctf_slate - played

Notes - First things first, I took a point off for optimization because of the very oddly done HDR. Some of the spawns feel too bright, and I actually had to disable HDR when playing the map just to save myself from another migraine. I feel like I can allways tell a "Youme" made map... or at least one that is heavily inspired by his designed. While beautifully detailed and styleized, it suffers from the shortcoming of being very hard to get your barrings. While the level design is great, this is one of the few maps that I honestly can't determine which point was which. Aside from that though, this is a well balanced map and I had quite a bit of fun on it. Good show.

ctf_panamint - played

Note - This map really surprised me. Out of all the running Assault CTF maps, this was the only one that truly felt balanced. Most of the maps entered here in the Assault category tend to end on a single point every time, however in your map each section felt like and even fight. There were just enough routes to attack and places to defend, and the final point is an epic battle, if it gets that far. It really pains me to vote so low and the detailing and style, but I know when you're finally done with this map it will turn out to be fantastic.

ctf_premuda - played

Notes - One of my favourites from the contest. The original design and beautifully detailed landscape really adds a new flavour to the already very well used palette of TF2. While some of the colours and lighting clash with the players, the style is wonderful, very new and greatly executed. As for gameflow though, I've seen quite a few players get lost when attempting to accomplish their objectives, and the winning team seems to be the one that simply knows just were to go. When we ran this map on a friend's server it was very well appreciated, and we found it to be very enjoyable in teams of all sizes. Good work, I can't wait to see your finalized version.

ctf_haarp - played

Notes - Wonderful, sublime, and loads of fun. This map always excited me when I saw it coming up on the server. The style and detailing is amazing, and let's face it... just plain fun. As is normal with assault CTF maps, balance is a little weighted towards attackers... especially at points 1-1 and 2-2. However, compared to the others of it's type it is a lot better laid out and still loads of fun to play. Excellent Job.

ctf_bayou - played

Notes - Saddly, this was the only map I had huge issues with playing on. Constant frame rate problems, optimization problems, and whatnot. Oddly enough, I didn't think the gameflow was too terrible, the map was easy to learn and I felt like I learned the process quickly, however some of the paths seemed strange and the place of health/ammo kits was too hap-hazard. It was a very gutsy move though attempting a swamp theme map so soon after its release and adding it to the contest, and for the overall style you did a decent job. Best of luck to you in your future maps.

Payload Race

plr_cornfield - not enough experience
Notes - Sadly I was unable to really spend some time on this map, which is too bad, seeing how well it was designed and it's detail in the last stage. I feel like you've got a great theme though, and while the kart itself is confusing, the objective at the end makes sense. Best of luck to you in your continued work.

plr_highwind - played

Notes - A very interesting design. I was caught off guard the first time I played this but it only took a single cap to figure out what the objective is. While clipping is a minor issue, the fact that the game cannot be completed is definitely a major issue. While it is remarkably detailed, I'm slightly confused at what the theme is. The ground-level work (palm tress, dungeon, grassy hills) remind me of some Caribbean paradise set away on an island, but the huge windmill makes me think I should be up in the Swiss Alps. Aside from that, the gameplay itself is great. I had quite a bit of fun on this map, however I could only stand a single round before the gameplay would feel old.

plr_scoville - played

Notes - Apparently this map has been a hotspot for optimization complaints... oddly enough though I've had very little issues with it when playing, however in a few places (specifically the first section, and the last stretch to the core) I lagged a tiny bit, but it wasn't enough to cause a game-breaking experience. In fact, I rather like the style of design. While the kart feels as if it moves a bit too slow throughout the final stage, the last stretch to the core is great fun, and the design of that section is excellent. Also, while this map has yet to be fully detailed, the overal style is wonderful and original... a sort-of "Hydro-esc" snowy power plant. I can't wait to see this map in it's finished form.

plr_animus - played

Notes - I've had a tough time summarizing my reasoning for the mediocre mark in gameplay, however I think this simple statement expresses my feelings: "Oddly paced." The first two sections are way to long, yet the third seems to be over too quickly. Aside from that, the style is great and original, however I feel the detailing is a little strange in a few places. The addition of a static spy model and the very messy floor tiles is odd. Also, I had some major issues with areaportals in the map... and there are quite a few noclip or displacement perches where a demoman can sit and spam. However, I liked the map overall, and it was quite fun to play in.

plr_solitude - played

Notes - A stellar map. The style and theme feels both original and beautiful. The gameplay is lots of fun too, especially with the dynamic last point. This is one of the few PLR maps that gives your team a better advantage then the "six inches" which is all too common on other PLR maps. However, it took some time for me to get familiar with the layout. I've played this map through a good six or seven times and I still can't say where each path goes, especially in the upper corridors on the second stage. Nevertheless, this is still a great map and I can tell you put a lot of work in it.

plr_rollout - not enough experience
Notes - It's really to bad that I didn't get more time to experience this map fully. It was a very clever idea, and the layout was not to shabby. Hopefully you can solve your entity issues so that a proper test can be undergone and I can really get a good amount of time to experience the map.

plr_nightfall - not played
Notes - I know nothing of this map. Never even got a chance to play it. From my overview though while filming I found the theme enjoyable, and the layout to be very nicely designed. Best of luck to you on your work of section 3.

plr_panic - played

Notes - This was one of the first maps I played when I joined the community. I remember having lots of fun on this map, especially with the ending section. I also remember being very worried at what this map would turn into once it reaches a detailed phase. I'm glad to say that it overly exceeded my expectations, and the theme fits smashingly with the distinct and memorable gameplay. The only real critiques I have for it though are based on the balance and game-flow. The second section can be a little confusing to navigate, and the final half ride too much on your entire team's skill level. (The slightest difference in skill level team-wise can ruin the game due to the fact that someone needs to stay on the kart at all times, since it's backward falling speed is very very fast.) Other then those nitpicks though this remains to be one of my favourite maps submitted in the contest. Well done.

plr_arctic - played

Notes - It always surprised me the variety of styles that can come from a simple snow theme. Each snow themed map I've seen is completely different from the other, and yours is no exception. I can't wait to see it fully detailed. As for the gameplay though, I thought the map was very well designed. It didn't take long for me to figure out the track and the amount of side routes was entertaining and fun to traverse. Great work.

littleedge · Nov 14, 2009

Will do more over time.

ctf_vector
Gameflow- 4
I rarely get lost in Vector. The only time there is a doubt in my mind of where I'm going is the last stage. I don't feel like I'm waiting too long to spawn, nor do I feel like I don't get a break while dead. All stages aren't too large, nor too small; most areas of constant battle have a bit of breathing room in between them.
Balance- 4
For the most part, all paths are equally desirable paths for the flag carrier. Most points are held by RED for a fair amount of time, but BLU is able to get to them. Unfortunately there are exceptions. Like 3-1 where RED has no chance. Or 2-1 (I think) where RED has too much of an advantage.
Detailing- 4
Nearly all places are detailed well, but a few areas are bland and have too much of the same colour and detail.
Optimization- 4
I have 11 FPS on maps like Dustbowl and Goldrush. Vector gives me the same results. Comparing it to it's competition, it's one of the best optimized. I get anywhere from 9-13, and that's very good.
Style- 4
Detailing is consistent and it feels like TF2.

ctf_haarp
Gameflow- 4
I never get lost in Haarp. I don't feel like I'm waiting too long to spawn, nor do I feel like I don't get a break while dead. All stages aren't too large, nor too small; most areas of constant battle have a bit of breathing room in between them.
Balance- 4
All classes have their own area where they dominate or are dominated. Haarp seems to be a bit tight, and there's only so many ways into each point, and to top it off, Engineers can often dominate. Some points, like 2-2 and 3-2 can last a really long time if there are more than two engineers, but because of how tight the area around each point is, a single uber can take out multiple sentries.
Detailing- 5
Nearly all places are detailed well. 3-2 seems a little too bland, that red computer wall being used way too often.
Optimization- 3
Anywhere indoors that isn't anywhere near the outside runs smoothly for me. That means the building of 1-2, around the point on 2-2, and around the point on 3-2. Anywhere close to the outside, or outside itself brings me down to 7 FPS and makes me unable to use my mic or play anything other than Engi.
Style- 4
No realistic Hl2-worthy textures, no weird lighting. Everything looks like it fits with what's next to it.

ctf_snowdrift
Gameflow- 4
It's nearly impossible to get lost in Snowdrift. Any signs you see only clarify what you already knew. Spawns don't feel off, and the locations for the forward spawns work well.
Balance- 4
There may be many straight, open paths, but there aren't that great sniper lines (only someone like Ravidge could truly dominate). For the most part, RED can hold out for quite a while, but BLU can push through with an uber easily. No blocking means Demo Sticky Jump caps and Scout Caps are plentiful, but the small cap zone prevents a scout fest.
Detailing- 3
Snowdrift looks nice from the outside, but some corridors indoors are very bland. And you seem to like windows, and some walls just have too many. A few nitpick areas where the snow immediately turns into concrete took away some points. Those overlays you used didn't do that problem justice either.
Optimization- 4
I have 11 FPS on maps like Dustbowl and Goldrush. Snowdrift is just slightly lower for me in some locations.
Style- 3
Nothing sticks out that shouldn't be in TF2. No weird lighting, no realistic textures. Going from outdoor areas to indoor areas are abrupt and could use some more snow tracked inside, as well as a few details being random.

ctf_bayou
Gameflow- 3
It's easy to get lost, and there's too many signs. Because of the confusing layout, the spawn time plus the time it takes to go down the wrong path onto A (as RED) because you thought that's where you should have gone feels too long. If you were to organize the layout a bit, it would probably be much better.
Balance- 3
Some parts are easy to defend, others are never given a chance to be defended. The last point always seems to be taken immediately after the previous, for example.
Detailing- 3
Most of the detailing feels incomplete. It's detailed, and one or two places look nice, but overall, it has an incomplete look to it.
Optimization- 2
The entire map runs at 5-9 FPS for me, when I should be running at 11. It makes it nearly impossible to play unless I'm an Engineer on defense.
Style- 3
Parts of the swamp detailing is not TF2-like. Most of it is just a gloomy alpine, so it's acceptable. There are many places where it looked like random detailing. One wall would be one way, the area next to it looks completely different.

ctf_slate
Gameflow- 3
Everything but a few nitpicks. Some areas feel like, as RED, I can get behind BLU. I can go through a line of small buildings and go behind a nearby rock, and then I can kill some BLU that think the buildings to their left are only accessible by them. Also, one of the spawns for RED...maybe on the first stage...requires I do a U-Turn to go to the battle. I'd be okay with that if there was a sign that told me to go left. I have many, many times gone right, even when I knew the only passage on the right was blocked off and used for the next stage.
Balance- 4
For the most part, all classes can hold their own. Because of the small points, it's slightly hard to defend, but a sentry can usually prevent any democaps.
Detailing- 4
You got the alpine theme down beautifully. There's a few area that look a little odd, but there aren't enough to really make a bad impression while playing. Those cave entrances are hot.
Optimization- 4
Not as bad as Haarp outdoors, or Bayou or Scoville, but not as good as Dustbowl/Gravelpit.
Style- 4
Nearly everything looks good together.

plr_panic
Gameflow- 4
Pipeline does a good job of keeping me active. There aren't miles to run to get where I need to be, I can get everywhere in the stage right after setup, the spawns are placed so that I am within defending range of the cart at all times, etc. Panic achieves this. The map is nice and small and there aren't any area that are useless.
Balance- 4
It's a plr map. It's symmetrical, so it got a 4. There's nothing spectacular that effects the balance in a positive way on top of the symmetry.
Detailing- 4
I feel like the last stage is kind of bland, but other than that, it looks nice. It's a little too dark for my personal preference, but it's nicely done so I kept it at a 4.
Optimization- 3
It's sad, but I don't get great FPS here. Better than Scoville and Haarp, but it still makes me have to play Lag Engi. Averaging on Dustbowl at 11 fps, I get about 8-9 here.
Style- 4
Nothing feels out of place with it's surroundings.

plr_nightfall
Gameflow- 4
Pipeline is a good example of how a plr map should be with gameflow. There aren't miles to run to get where I need to be, I can get everywhere in the stage right after setup, the spawns are placed so that I am within defending range of the cart at all times, as well as within attacking range of the enemy, but it's not a clusterfuck, etc. Nightfall is like this.
Balance- 4
It's a plr map. It's symmetrical, so it got a 4. There's nothing spectacular that effects the balance in a positive way on top of the symmetry.
Detailing- 3
-1 point for dev on the third stage. -1 point for your indoors being bland, and some nitpicky details. Outdoors are beautiful, though. ('_')b
Optimization- 4
I don't lag too much. I'm at about 10 FPS instead of my usual 11.
Style- 4
You succeeded in an alpine plr map. Everything works with what's around it.

plr_animus
Gameflow- 3
Pipeline does a good job of keeping me active. There aren't miles to run to get where I need to be, I can get everywhere in the stage right after setup, the spawns are placed so that I am within defending range of the cart at all times, etc. Panic does NOT achieve this. It is too large, stage 3 feels like you rarely encounter the enemy, and for emphasis: it's huge - The first half minute of cart pushing is alone. Then, whichever team manages to kill the other team first when they meet is who pushes to the enemy's base. Then it's a spawn camping fest.
Balance- 3
It's a plr map. It's symmetrical, so it got a 4. But -1 for layout. Because of how it is set up, as I mentioned above, once a team pushes near the end of the track, the balance has shifted dramatically. It turns from plr to pl - one team's attacking, the other's defending.
Detailing- 3
-2 for parts of all three stages being dev as well as having many oddities. Like in stage 3, there's a stairwell that leads to a small path under where the carts are. Each team's stairwell walls are coloured with a concrete wall that has a red stripe at the bottom of the texture. It repeats, and the area in between the two bases is a blue-coloured stripe. Other oddities like that are elsewhere. The exterior of some of your buildings look nice, but it doesn't make up for everything else.
Optimization- 4
I don't seem to lag in Animus by much. I average 9-10 FPS.
Style- 2
It does not feel like I'm in the same map wherever I go. Those...flare things...on the ground do not go with the bright orange pumpkins which don't go with the deserty ground and waterfalls. Oh, and the buildings themselves go alright together, but compare it to the rest and you got nothing.

plr_scoville
Gameflow- 4
Pipeline's a good example for game flow. Everything is near eachother, nothing takes hours to walk to, etc. Scoville pulls off what Pipeline does. Stages seem a bit too large, though.
Balance- 4
It's a plr map. It's symmetrical, so it got a 4.
Detailing- 3
-2 for dev. The detailed parts of the map are very nice though. RED's base on stage 1 is a bit TOO brick-y, but it's all put together nicely.
Optimization- 2
I average at 11 fps on Dustbowl. Scoville gives me 6-9.
Style- 4
The stage that is detailed looks good. It's a bit odd to have snow on the first stage and then a giant sun on the third, (I do get that it decreases over time, but it's still odd).

plr_solitude
Gameflow- 4
Solitude does a lot of things that Pipeline doesn't. Your spawns are set up so that you push the cart on one side of the map, while defending your base by going out another door - and you're at the other end of the map. The layout is nice. You need to do some playerclipping though. Many of the detail areas in the spawns are accessible, as well as many of the cliffs throughout the map
Balance- 4
It's a plr map. It's symmetrical, so it got a 4. You were close to earning a 3 on it though because as progress is made in Solitude, it gets harder to attack and easier to defend. TOO easy to defend.
Detailing- 4
It looks awesome. Don't know what else to say. There are nitpicky areas that I found, like the detail room inbetween the two cart's starts on round 1 where we are blocked off by a few pieces of wood. It's very bland in there. And then throughout the map, there's a few tiny details. The best detailed plr map, though. just not worthy of a 5 (I'm a tough rater).
Optimization- 4
It's like most of the others. One of the better, but no better than Dustbowl or Gravelpit.
Style- 4
Nothing feels out of place with it's surroundings. The last round seems different when compared to the first two, though.

Sgt.Sausage · Nov 14, 2009

Great work everyone, will update as i playtest these maps more. Thanks ABS and Void for the table.

*Will update as the week goes on*

Animus

Hard work as been put into this map, lots of great ideas and plenty of alphas. Fearless really wanted to get it right, so much so he redid huge parts of the map multiple times. I haven't played the newest version as much as the past ones, but the flow of the karts and balance seemed to struggle especially on the last stage. I will update this if i get a chance to play it again and prove myself wrong. Great work.

Artic

From what i have scene, it has alot of potential, but needs alot of work. Love the uphill plr on the second, but the tunnel and sniper lines out of spawn are a huge problem. It also seems to big, lots of random hallways, ramps for hight advantages that serve no purpose for gameplay. Very fun and original layout. As for detail its still in alpha with little or no details, so not saying much about that. Overall especially on the third stage, WAY to big. Maybe half the size would be nice, its also one straight line witch breaks up the gameplay, not designated battlements, the fights seem random. Not sure why, but tons of people crash on this map. Sometimes tf2, or something just the server but it happened to me 3 times in one game. Not going to rate as of this time i have only played this map twice. Will update if i get the chance to play it again, i hope i do.

Bayou

Another map that i have unfortunately not played enough to rate. In earlier versions balance and layout were the main issues i had. Sign-age and gameplay flow lacked by the map being either to big, or an uneven layout between points if you no what i mean. Also the optimizing needs a lot of work. If i get a chance to play the contest version i few times before the cutoff, i will rate.

Cornfield

Played this quite a few times in early alpha, and enjoyed it from the start. Besides the
midpoint where the karts cross being very small and spammy on a few stages, its a great map. You most fixed the bugs, (besides karts getting stuck, not gonna knock you down for this, new gamemode everyone is having trouble mastering this) and seemed to balance it nicely. One suggestion i have is to remove, change, and make more noticeable of the back routes. Most of them are very confusing and never used. I really hope you continue progress and this map, it has so much potential i would hate to see it be lost. It seems to help spy's to much. Great job overall love the finale.

HAARP

This map surprised me. Never expected it to have so much time put into it. Dr.Spud really perfected this map. I dont have any problems with it, every version gets better. Very memorial, and original layouts (especially love the zig-zag gameplay aspect on 3-3) Fantastic work. You pretty much perfected the snow theme, looks beautiful.

Highwind

Never played earlier versions, only the contest entry. This map shot out of nowhere and it has lots of potential I hope you continue to put time into this map as it makes its way into beta. Needs lots of work, but i definitely had fun on highwind. Thanks for a this map and good luck.

NightFall

This was the first custom plr map i played. At first i didn't like it, not sure why. But as i played it more and more and watched it develop i grew to love it. Some interesting ideas with down hills as opposed to up hill roll back. Love these aspects great work. Hopefully stage 3 works out sometime soon.

Panamint

This was one of the first a/d ctf maps i played. It has improved so much through the many alpha and testing. This is just one of those maps that everyone seems to enjoy playing on the tf2m server. Stage 2 over all needs work on layout, especially 2-2. Third stage is much better, and the first stage i Love, except for the underground tunnels, very confusing and to many of them. Balance and layout are nearing completion to beta and detailing. AWESOME INTEL, the hovering and rotation effect while on the stand is great. Good luck, thanks for this map.

Panic

Ohh panic, that name suites this great plr very well. From the very first time i played it, i think everyone enjoyed the starts of each stage. Especially for first time players, each stage has an epic start to the race. The first and second stages have improved dramatically. I have always enjoyed playing this map, and lots of other people as well. Great work on making an original map that everyone seems to enjoy.

Premunda

From the first screenshots, i think everyone new this map was gonna be a gem. The few times i have played it, its been a blast. The problems in early alphas were quickly fixed and its shaped up very nicely. Did i mention its beautiful as well? I only with i could play this map more. Hopefully when beta comes it gets entered into game days as i haven't played more than 5 rounds on this map. Thanks so much for this map,
Amazing Job. Props for another fantastic explosion, you definitely got those mastered.

Scoville

To be honest, i hated scoville from the start. I was worried that the finale explosion was a higher priority than gameplay. But i was pleasantly surprised as each alpha was released, and the overall map SLOWLY improved. This is definitely one of my most played contest entries. Scoville always had lots of potential, but i never experted anything good to come from it (except the amazing explosion). It may be a surprise, but the third stage is hands down my favorite. Others say the gamplay is to slow and cramped, but i always have a good time. I guess increasing the kart speed couldn't hurt to prevent dull gameplay. Optimization seems to be everyone biggest complain especially on the third stage. But for me my game runs fine on stage 3, but not so well in certain parts of 1 and 2. Now that the explosion is perfected, i expect this great map to improve much more gameplay, optimization, and detail wise. Thanks for this map, i am glad i changes my feelings about scoville.

P.S. For most of the contest except the last month or 2 i thought it was called Scott's Ville, haha shows how good i read.

Slate

Wow, slate came out of nowhere from some icy mouse.

From the few times i have played it i had a great time. Balance is not to bad but the gameflow and layout need some work. Blu can almost always roll through most of the stages. But overall its a great map that looks very promising, deficiently an excellent addition to the contest and my favorite custom maps.

Snowdrift

Snowdrift, definitely one of my favorites from the beginning. I have no problems with optimization, detail and style look great. Nice job with the snow theme. Balance is generally fine but the gameflow needs work. As much as you ignore the issue or think its fine, i hate to keep saying this but you NEED to be able to block the point. It way to easy to suicide scouts like (radaka i belive is a great one) to get blown by a sentry onto the point when the flag is close and quickly cap it even when someone is standing their. All it takes is to scouts, 1 bonk other flag to cap. It may not happen since people dont organize alot, but its way to easy and eventually people will figure it out. Red needs a way to stop them. The final point seems to have this problem the most, i think lots of people will agree. But once i get past that its an awesome map i always enjoy.

Vector

Gotta love vector. Only 30 alphas behind it and it definitely shows. I never got tired of it after tons of tests. Not sure exactly what you meant when you had trouble with feedback, but the map turned out great. Hands down i prefer the CTF version, it plays well like haarp and doesn't need a CP version but thats up to you. Congratulations on vector, detailing and style are amazing (love the spawns, forget i need to play just want to look), and the flow, balance, and optimization are great.

Solitude

I have played a few times, Only the contest entry but Props for the original theme. Not a huge fan of the style, but it was done well and thats just my opinion. So you get a 5 for style and detailing. Optimization seemed good to me. This mapped seemed to come out of nowhere, but i am glad it did. I hope i get to play it more in the near future.

Incomplete As of Now
Rollout
Bayou

*Will update as the week goes on*

Grim Tuesday · Nov 14, 2009

OK, so I am new member to these forums, but have been lurking for a while, so I know whats going on. I'l add maps as I play them, so there is no particular order to the ratings. Ratings are subject to change up until the end of the contest based on more play time on these maps.
CTF_HAARP

CTF_HAARP is, right now, in my opinion, one of the top contenders for the best CTF map. The snow theme fits perfectly, as does some major spytech action. The gameplay is fun, with action taking place all through the map. Another thing I love is how all the CP's are actual things, such as desks, not just arbitrary places. The map, although beautiful, loses a point in optimization due to the snow effects. Another small problem in balance is that in my opinion, point 1-1 and 3-1 are much too easy to cap for soldiers and demomen (demoman's? WTF), as they can much too easily just jump in a cap. The sad thing about that is that they are both such wonderful points, its a pity to see them go so early. In the end, I think this map offers some serious competition to all the contenders, and is great fun all around! EDIT: After some more play time, I dropped gameflow by 1 due to rampant spawncamping in 1-2. I have never played a round of HAARP on red (where blu ultimately won the point) with out being spawncamped on 1-2.

PLR_Rollout

I really want to like this map, and it has very fun gameplay, but has quite a lot of weird mechanics. First off, this map crashes. A lot. Thats why it gets the 0 for optimization. Secondly, it is un-symmetrical, which is unusual for a PLR map, and im not convinced its fully balanced in places, such as one cart moves up, and one goes down, or when there are completely different objectives. Another thing is, is that I've heard that the map is sort of TC. I dont have ANY IDEA WHATSOEVER how this works, besides the fact that I sometimes see one of the unsymmetricle objectives on red's side, and other times on BLU's. Now that i'm done complaining, il move onto this maps plusses! In places where it is detailed, the detailing is done well (for example, a cart making factory). Also, when it doesn't crash, the gameplay is very fun. As of right now, the map needs some optimizing with entities, and figure out why it keeps on crashing. It could also use some playtesting, but in all is a very fun map!

PLR_Panic

I love this map. Right now, it is to me THE map to beat for PLR. This map starts with a bang, with the cart rolling down the track, ready to be pushed. Amazing. The gameplay in the first stage is good, with the biggest problem being that in the last section of them, a sentry will pretty much stop any cart advances for a long time. I love how the walls explode at the begging of the second stage, changing the layout so quicklly, its hard to plan. An amazing stage. The map, however truly gets its name from the last stage, with the doomsday device on one end, and a bottomless pit on the other. My one niggle with the last stage is that it is slightlly too short, and always seems to be easier for one team to stop the other from pushing their cart than pushing their own. Maybe make the carts fall slightlly slower down the track? The other problem with the last stage is how short it is! I always want it to last longer, but it never does! In the end, a great map, with great theme, and overall amazing. Loses the balance point for it being easier to stop the opponent than push your own, and loses the detailing for the map being quite bland other than the animations at the beginning.
PLR_Arctic

This is a solid map, but has many flaws: For example, in any of the stages, if one team gets behind, it is physically impossible to catch up. Next, there are way too many good sentry spots, easily stopping play for a long long time. Last, the map crashes quite alot. I got to go now, but il rate more later! Now that im back, I can go to the positives! I really like the last stage, although it is too long, so if one team can just spawncamp for 30 seconds, then they just won. In all, I can also see how the ice-cave will work, and I wish you good luck! I cant wait until this map is released in a final form, as I am sure that it will be much better. On to optimization, I didnt get low framerates or anything, but it did crash my client a few times. No biggie, but something to look into.
PLR_Animous

*Sigh*
I really want to like this map, but I don't. First of all, the stages are too long and the carts are far apart. It takes minutes for the two teams to converge in the middle, and when they do, when one team wins the initial battle, they get their cart almost all the way to the enemy's base, then the defending team respawns, and pushes them back, then builds defenses. It then takes uber(s) to get past them. Also, a single soldier/demo can spawncamp the whole team in places, as there is only one exit to the spawn. On to stage 2, which I havent played much, I find the same flaws as 1. The carts are too far apart, and when they do meet, they invite more turtling. In the third stage, I dislike most heavilly. I got lost, and then we lost, because whoever pushes the cart first wins. On to detailing, it seems that you need to choose a theme, and stick with it. I mean, record chambers+pumpkins+waterfalls=fail. It just looks wring. You either need to go all out haloween, or spytech in the evening, or something I dont know... In optimization, there were weird particle effects all around the map, especially the first spawn: I couldnt find my way out due to all the particles and for some reason, whenever I exited the left door, I could see The Void. I dont know, but it was very weird. In the end, I think this map needs serious work, but it can still be fixed!
PLR_Scoville

I really like this map for gameplay reasons. IT is in my opinion, competing with Panic for being the most fun of the PLR maps in the contest. Fans FTW. I love it. The map needs some optimization, however, as even my 4850 at one point stumbled a little, but it was more like 75 fps to 45. The detailing is still a bit lacking, but I like the way the first stage is detailed, even if I dont like that theme (I would rather see this map somewhere else, especially with the name scoville) but in the last stage, the snow will fit perfectly. I love your doomsday device, although it looks a bit like the citadel core in Ep1. I was gona give you a 3 for detailing, due to dev textures, but then I saw the doomsday device, and its dose of extreme awesome. The map has very good style, and I can see how the industrial will fit with snow later in design. In then end, this is maybe the most fun of all the PLR entries, but needs improvement with optimization and detailing. I cant wait for when this map is done

EDIT: Loses a point on gameflow for me getting bored with it on my third playthrough.
CTF_Slate

This too is a map that I really want to like, but I feel its missing a certian something. To start out with, I dont think that the gameplay is particularly balanced, as some caps seem to go too fast. What was the problem to me, I realized later, was this map was JUST like a sawmill version of Dustbowl. Think about 2-2. It looks lifted from Dustbowl. And that bothers me. Still, the map was mostly fun, although the first point always fell within 30 seconds. Although the detailing is beautiful, you get a 3 for style, as this style was directly lifted from Sawmill. I expected more from Youme, but this map is still a very good map, but needs some gameplay tweaks. Also, the map is HEAVILLY biased for blu to win, so in my opinion, it has some very bad balance issues. Its almost like you took a CP map, and added A/D CTF's to it. This map would be 10 times better if it was CP, but then it would be too close to Dustbowl, just with a sawmill theme. I dont really know what to say...

CTF_Vector

This map is my favorite for the CTF category. It not only looks clean, it plays clean too. It looks like an offical Valve map, and with so much testing, how could it go wrong? The balance is admirable, with in my opinion, no places where I said to myself GAH BAD SENTRY SPOT. Nope. In fact, I think that if this map was made offical, we would find in the stats thingy that it said and exact 50-50 win ratio. The game flows correctly, with battles taking place anywhere, and health and ammo placed in perfect places to encourage them. Another win! I got no weird framerates or anything from the map, so optimization is all good, and it never crashed on me. Finally, you loose one point on style by using the Hydro theme. You do however, use it so well, I hardly ever say HYDRO! I sometimes, do notice it, so that is where you lost your point. In the end, I hope that this map wins the contest. It is truly amazing!
CTF_Panamint

This is, like Scoville, my surprise favorite on the gameplay side: it is one of the best balanced and fun of the CTF maps. It is also very very well balanced, where I see red and blu winning almost at equal amounts. I love almost all the points, but I get lost very easilly, as sometimes it looks like the second point in the stage is the first (1-2). My favorite point is 1-1, since there are so many ways to get in. If you can get some more of this level of awesome, I would be very happy. Next, no offense, but you detailing is awful. In fact, I sort of wish that you had left it ALL dev textured instead of haphazardly putting in dessert textures, especially the BLU spawn for stage 3. The repeating rock is just annoying. I do, however like the detailing on 3-2, so thats nice. It would be cool if the buttons there actually did something, like raise one wall, and lower another, or something. It would give that point some uniqueness that it doesn't really have. In style, I see teh same dessert theme I see everywhere: Nothing new, and its not particularlly done well. I do like how some of the points have glass tops. Thats another bit of awesome you have in there. In the end, this map needs some work on detailing, and some style, but you've got the gameplay down pretty good!
PLR_Solitude

Solitude is a very solid entry in the PLR section of the contest, not only due to the fact that it does many new things, but it also plays very well. First off, I love how the carts are not with you during setup. Its just different, and I like it. Another thing that I love about this map is that red and blu truly have different objectives and archetectural styles. You didnt just copy/paste from one side to another, you actually made whole new 3d skyboxes. My only bone to pick is that I get lost in your third stage quite often. I dont know why, but I do anyway. An amazing map, and in my opinion is easilly on or above of Panic (my previous favorite).

CTF_Snowdrift

I like this map for what it is: The badwater of A/D CTF maps. In fact, it is very fun, with a lot of nice points. It loses a few points in gameflow due to me repeatedly going in the wrong direction out of the second spawn. Every time. Im not sure how to fix this, but do. The actual gameplay is very fun, but I think that you must block caps. Its much too easy for a demoman to jump in with the flag, and just do a quickcap. You theme is pulled off well, and the snow looks great. Detailing is also done well. In the end, your only flaw is signage, and point blocking. After that is out of the way, this map will truly be a winner!
PLR_Highwind
[/B]

This is an interesting map. The, but has many flaws. It looks MUCH more open that it is in reality, which is quite a pity, as I was looking forward to climbing up into those buildings, and airblasting some people into the windmills

. The problem with this map is it's length: It seems to me to be one stage of a PLR map, not a full map. It is definatlly not long enough. What is there, it is fun, but its just too short. Its also very easy for once one team takes control, to spawncamp the other. And its impossible for BLU to win. Thats just dumb. The map looks and feels nice, but it just isn't TF2. I dont know, I just dont think that it fits...
In the end, expand them map, make it more tf2-ey (maybe make some kind of doomsday device at the end--why is RED/BLU trying to blow up a random wall?) and it will be a great map. I cant wait until I see the third stage!
PLR_Cornfield

This is map is an example to me of a solid 3. For balance, it seems much too easy to spawncamp, (that was all that happened to me when I played--I didnt get a chance to push the cart once). The game flows pretty well, but I dont know, it just seems to me to be missing something. I dont know what, it just looks desolate, and plays desolate. The cart models are funny, and I like a bit of humor in my TF2, but why would RED or BLU be pushing a bouncy bomb to water faucet. Thats where I can really suspend my disbelief any more. THe water faucet thingy is annoying, as its not a very good ending explosion (oooh im scared WATER!!!!), and due to the custom particle glitch, it screws with the next map in the rotation. Im not sure why this is named Cornfield, since it takes place in a desert... You get style points for the carts, and I do like the general setting. Just keep working on it, somehow stop the spawncamping, and you'll have a great map!

MAPS I HAVEN'T PLAYED YET
-Nightfall
-Bayou
-Premuda

I wish I could have, but sadlly I can only play around 11, and usually then Scoville is on...

Radaka · Nov 14, 2009

For symmetrical maps I assign to the balance rating the ability to easily adapt to a situation as it plays out (basically how many useful options you have).

Vector

This map is flat out fantastic. It uses the hydro theme well, even expanding on it. It flows well, executes chokepoints well, and is one of the only 3 maps TF2 currently has to offer that allows for my favorite gameplay--high-flying-super-scout-from-hell.

Averages same fps as dustbowl (110 for me)

Snowdrift

This map is fun to play up until the final point, when it becomes only fun for red team (poorly executed chokepoint). The detailing looks nice, but it feels like it needs to stray away from the buildings+flat theme you've picked out. Framerate averages well on this map (140 compared to dustbowl 110)

Slate
Haven't played enough to judge.

Panamint

This map is generally fun to play but point 2-2, as many others have said, needs a ton of changes (please remove that prop, when I see it all I think about it how out of place it is). It feels balanced well, with plenty of options of attack and an interesting layout to boot. The detailing isn't done (just textures and some minor displacement work), and the style hasn't started taking shape yet. The strong point of this map for me is that it uses layout ideas that are very unique.
(I didn't do any fps tests on this one, but it certainly doesn't seem badly optimized)

Premuda

I'm always very distracted when I play this map, usually I can't think about anything but how much I HATE the horrendous yellow lighting that you've picked out. The gameplay itself is solid, with interesting layouts and memorable locations, followed up with a satisfying boom. I do like the mediterranean style, and I don't have a poor framerate on this map (averaging around 115, dustbowl avg 110).

HAARP

HAARP is a great map. The layout is based around interesting ideas, the theme works very well, and there is a good sense of progression as you move throughout the map. Detailing is well done, with individual areas that stand out. This is the other contest map that allows for high-flying-super-scout-from-hell action. I originally hated the final point, but it doesn't feel like a grind like it used to. Optimization is overall good (110 avg, dusbowl 110 avg).

Bayou

This map takes a lot of interesting layout ideas taken from different settings (mansion, ferry, underwater missile silo). The gameplay is overall good, but I tended to get lost quite a bit. The style seemed to be kind of.... all over the place, and the fighting was difficult because of the constantly unlevel terrain. Fps was fine (130 avg, dustbowl 110 avg).
___________________________________

Scoville

The gameplay on this map is solid without any impossible chokepoints and a decent layout (just needs some trimming, there are too many useless areas). The detailing looks nice, but it only earns two point above full dev-textured because only the first stage and final area that are detailed. The portion that is detailed feels great though, feels all new. Optimization is just... bad (40 fps first stage, 70 elsewhere, dustbowl 110 avg.)

Solitude

This map popped out of nowhere, and I love it! The gameplay is incredibly fun, with my only complaint being that I think you should remove the barbed wire (still block players jumping over the gate with clips at setup though), and enlarge the area outside of the 2nd stage spawns (feels cramped). At first I thought the 3rd stage would play horribly, but after playing several games it turned out to just be a blast. The detailing is great, it feels like something new rather than just a rehash of a standard theme. Optimization is good (110 avg, 110 dustbowl avg).

Animus

This map needs flow, it has NONE. The layout generally feels very bland, and while the detailing is nice, it has no coherency or underlying "driving force". Optimization is fine (110 avg., 110 dusbowl avg.). This map desperately needs more thought put into the layout.

Cornfield

This is a great map, with a new take on the desert theme that feels like a fresh breath of air, and a layout that feels interesting, allowing players to attack from angles that reward quick thinking. Detailing is only about 1/2 complete, so I had to give it a lower score than a fully detailed map. Optimization is good (140 avg, dustbowl 110 avg.).

Nightfall

Review coming soon.

Rollout

Review coming soon.

Highwind

Review coming soon.

Arctic

Review coming soon.

Panic

Review coming soon.

Waif · Nov 15, 2009

Reserved for when i fill it in properly.
(Not fully played= havent played all stages/ latest version)

A/D CTF Maps: | Gameflow | Balance | Detaling | Optimizing | Style | Comments
ctf_vector: played | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Comments
ctf_harrp: | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | Very crisp, fresh map. The setiing is really amazing, with varied gameplay on the sides of the cliff and inside the facilitly/plant. the map flows well and is fun, just a minor niggle with the spamminess in general. Blance seems good class wise, team wise however it seems that red is dependant on sentry nests to win. Detailing is really good, dunno what that other person was on when he said it was shabby, everything looks so clean and crisp, just love the broken window cap point and the final caps theme, very nice. Style also gets top marks, its snowy but you actually feel like you are up high where the snow would be and this plant would be located irl. Great work.
ctf_bayou: |3| 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Obviously didn't have as much production time as some others, however this map is still fairly fun. Unfortunately it is too easy to get lost in and the flow is awkward. Some areas are fairly well detailed but others are lacking. Balance wise it seems that close quarter classes, such as heavy, are too easy off and Snipers are punished with few decent sightlines. The theme and style is nice though.
ctf_snowdrift: | 3 |3 | 4 |4| 4 | I like the single stage idea to this map and its looks are quite nice, reminds me of a snowy badwater. Unfortunately the gameplay is a bit stop and go, blue has the flag and runs ages with little competetion then gets absolutely deadlocked with sentry farming, particullarily on point 1 and final cap. Class balance seems ok, except the last point is just so easily shut down by engies/ heavies/ demoman. Overall not a bad map, just has a few areas that are a bit off, optimisation/ style are both good.
ctf_slate:| 5 |4| 4|4 |4 | Only got to play this recently and I really enjoyed it. Reminded me a lot of dustbowl in layout and the open spaces and little amount of chokepoints made it overly fun and more fast paced. Balance seemed good, no classee are to strong, couldn't find an almighty sentry spot/ sniper sightline and I got to the end as blue so teamwise it seems good. Detailing is good, not anything groundbreaking or amazing and the rainy alpine style fits well even though I don't like it that much.
ctf_panamint: |5|4| 1 | 3 | 4 | One of my favourite A/D CTF maps. Really love the use of height adavantage its overall design, also fun to play on. Sadly its far from complete detailing and optimisation wise. Balance still needed some tweaking however the reminds me of goldrush (lol) style shows out well even for its lack of completeness.
ctf_premuda: Played |3| 4 | 5 |4 | 5 | very cool map. Love the overall design and use of hieght advanatage and cliffs, however it often feels like red are forced to sentry camp points and totally lock it down, see this happen a lot on point 2-1 and it can make playing blue not so fun. Balance wise it seems very nice, blue often caps in overtime which makes it fun and chaotic and class wise it seems ok, however in some areas engies and soldiers/ scouts are a bit strong (with all the vertical combat and cap point stoppages). Detailing is amazing, looks really interesting and unique, its style also is pretty dam cool, just love your displacements. Optimisation is good for how the map is layed out, file size is perhaps a bit big however.
PLR Maps: | Gameflow | Balance | Detaling | Optimization | Style | Comments
plr_scoville: |3|4 |2 | 3| 3| This map had its ups and downs. some areas played well and were fun, but in other sections I feel there were too many paths to take and places to be attacked from at once. Balanse wise its PLR, so team vs Team was fine, however there were some pretty huge sightlines and open spaces in areas. The stage that was detailed was done fairly nicely, perhaps a bit bland however and lost some marks for dev textured areas. Nothing amazing/ horrible about the style, I see the hyrdro themed buildings and final flash explosion is nifty.
plr_solitude:| 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | An unique map, I quite like tis layout and enjoy playing it. It is designed quit enicely, each stage feels different and enjoyable. Balance if good, every class is viable and of course its plr= eqaul team wise. optimisation is good, no noticable lag/ fps drops, however I feel it could still have a bit mroe done with prop fade distances and other minor optimisation things. The detailing is good, but not amazing. It does feel a little bit awkward in some spots, blue buildings right next to red ones with a mixture of all types of styles and themes, so loose a few amrks son style there. Overall a solid entry.
plr_animus:| 3|3 |2 |4|3 | Easily the most controversal map, animus has a few obvious issues. Whilst the gameplay is alright, stage layout is so weird with mega huge stage 1, reasonably sized 2 and then ultra small 3, where you can't expect to play for longer than 1 death before it finishes. Class balance is a bit off as well there are some really big open sightlines in some areas. detailing has its highs and lows, the building shapes look cool but there are too many little oddities like flares and warped textures on spawn doors/ dev textures throughout. the style is also like the detail, a bit hit and miss. The creepy haunted theme was cool, but you seem to have gone over the top and just added all sorts of senseless things like waterfalls in a desert. Optimisation seems fine for me.
plr_nightfall: |5| 4| 3 |4| 4 | Lovely map, fun to play with lots of different routes to choose from. Balance, team wise and class wise is great, all classes seem to have an equal footing cept maybe in 3rd stage where its a tad open) . Detailing is great if anything perhaps abit over detailed in some areas- you often can get visually distracted and it may be worth cutting out a few props etc, a few blank walls here and there dont hurt too much. Unfortunately loose a mark for 3rd stage being undetailed with just dev textures. Optimisation is very good, no frame rate issues even with the large-ish size. The rainy alpine theme, as I said with slate its not a personal preference however you pulled it off well.
plr_rollout: Not yet Played | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Comments
plr_cornfield: Not fully Played | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Comments
plr_panic: Played | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Comments
plr_artic: | 3 | 4 | 1 |5 |2| Obviously not finished, artic however still has some interesting gameplay, especially stage 3 which is quite fun. Unfortunately there a few quirks, long sightline down the middle in stage 2, the end of stage 3 is a fair walk away from spawn yet balance seems fine in general. Optimisation is great, it is however an alpha

Style, only a small mark here because it really isn't eveident through the textures, however I can tell it could look nifty when finished. detailing is sadly pretty poor with more dev textures then anything else.
plr_highwind: Not yet Played | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Comments

/steals from TPG

Engineer · Nov 15, 2009

A/D CTF Maps:

ctf_vector
Gameflow: 4
Balance: 3
Detaling: 5
Optimizing:4
Style: 4
Another great map from Icarus. It played pretty nice and looked too. There were many tests and many changes, but at the and it got together pretty well.
-----------------------------------------
ctf_haarp
Gameflow: 4
Balance: 3
Detaling: 5
Optimizing:5
Style: 4
I remember it from a1. Than it was really boring, but now it too looks ok. There was a nasty CP Dispenser that got removed and thats ok. The snow theme looks nice.
-----------------------------------------
ctf_bayou
Gameflow: 3
Balance: 3
Detaling: 3
Optimizing:3
Style: 3
It felt really big and lagged as hell. But with some tweaks it could be just ok.
-----------------------------------------
ctf_snowdrift
Gameflow: 4
Balance: 4
Detaling: 4
Optimizing:5
Style: 4
Really fun map, but it feels that the detailing could be a bit better. Sometimes it felt a bit repetitive. Oh yeah, the last point...
-----------------------------------------
ctf_slate
Gameflow: -
Balance: -
Detaling: -
Optimizing:-
Style: -
Will play later
-----------------------------------------
ctf_panamint
Gameflow: 4
Balance: 3
Detaling: 3
Optimizing:4
Style: 2
Pretty neat map, but the detailing.. It feels like its an early alpha. Needs more spice. But actually it plays pretty good.
-----------------------------------------
ctf_premuda
Gameflow: -
Balance: -
Detaling: -
Optimizing:-
Style: -
Will play later
-----------------------------------------
PLR Maps:

plr_scoville
Gameflow: 5
Balance: 5
Detaling: 5
Optimizing:2
Style: 5
I love this map. Plays nicely and detail is great.
-----------------------------------------
plr_solitude
Gameflow: 4
Balance: 4
Detaling: 4
Optimizing:4
Style: 4
Last minute entry, i believe. You've outdone your self. The map appeared from nowhere :O
-----------------------------------------
plr_animus
Gameflow: 5
Balance: 5
Detaling: 4
Optimizing:4
Style: 4
Nice, darkish feeling. Plays pretty well.
-----------------------------------------
plr_nightfall
Gameflow: 5
Balance: 5
Detaling: 5
Optimizing:4
Style: 5
I fell in love with the detail. Nicely balanced map(duuh.. it's a plr )Great work! Sadly the 3rd stage was not completed yet
-----------------------------------------
plr_rollout
Gameflow: 3
Balance: 4
Detaling: 2
Optimizing:3
Style: 2
I remember it from early alpha. It was in dev textures than and it is now Looks too repetitive. And the layout should be fixed a bit.
-----------------------------------------
plr_cornfield
Gameflow: 5
Balance: 5
Detaling: 5
Optimizing:4
Style: 5
Great map, great detail, great gameplay
-----------------------------------------
plr_panic
Gameflow: 4
Balance: 5
Detaling: 5
Optimizing:4
Style: 5
Feels a bit like L4D But it is good. The detailing is nice(scary) and the gameplay was good as well. I love the rolling carts at the beginning of the round.
-----------------------------------------
plr_highwind
Gameflow: -
Balance: -
Detaling: -
Optimizing:-
Style: -
Will play it later.
-----------------------------------------

The Gentlemanne · Nov 15, 2009

will add comments soon

A/D CTF Maps: | Gameflow | Balance | Detaling | Optimizing | Style | Comments
ctf_vector: Played | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | KICKASS
ctf_harrp: Played | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | Comments
ctf_bayou: Played | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | Comments
ctf_snowdrift: Played | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | Comments
ctf_slate: Played | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | Comments
ctf_panamint: Played | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | Comments
ctf_premuda: Played | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | I lag a lot on this map.
PLR Maps: | Gameflow | Balance | Detaling | Optimization | Style | Comments
plr_scoville: Played | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | Comments
plr_solitude: Played | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4| 4 | Comments
plr_animus: Played | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Comments
plr_nightfall: Played | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | Comments
plr_rollout: Not Played | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Comments
plr_cornfield: Played | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | Love the cart...
plr_panic: Played | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | Best PLR map I played
plr_artic: Played | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | Comments
plr_highwind: Not Played | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Comments

/steals from Owl and TPG.

Search

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Major Contest #3 Final Voting Thread

Armadillo of Doom

Group Founder, Lover of Pie

A Boojum Snark

Toraipoddodezain Mazahabado

The Political Gamer

Icarus

Chaopsychochick

L4: Comfortable Member

grazr

Old Man Mutant Ninja Turtle

Void

Local Man Unable To Map, Sources Say

Owlruler

L12: Fabulous Member

Fearlezz

L10: Glamorous Member

Ida

deer

Occlusion

L1: Registered

Randdalf

Jack Riguel

L10: Glamorous Member

littleedge

L1111: Clipping Guru

Sgt.Sausage

L420: High Member

Grim Tuesday

Radaka

L420: High Member

Waif

L7: Fancy Member

Engineer

The Gentlemanne

L4: Comfortable Member

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